Method of making refractory shapes



Dec. 29, 1931.

E. o. BEARDSLEY ET AL- 1,838,522

METHOD OFMAKING REFRACTORY SHAPES Filed Deo. 6, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l b b g I 0 y l K /f Il l "l" vri 1r O i f .l i

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1 o o U Dec. 29, 1931. E. o. BEARDSLEY ET AL 1,838,522 I METHOD 0F MAKING REFRACTORY SHAPES 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 6

Patented Dec. 29, 1.931

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELMER 0. IBEARDSLEY AND WALTELR F. PIPER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG'NORS TO THE BEARDSLEY & PIPER COMPANY, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS lIYLIEIHQI') 0F MAKING 'REFRACTORY SHAPES Application led December 6, 1926. Serial` No. 152,757.

The invention relates to the method of making refractory shapes.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved and rapid method of projecting material into moulds for refractory brick or shapes Vwhereby a uniform density and distribution of the material throughout substantially all portions of the moulds will be produced, so that during the drying and firing of the shapes they will not be distorted by reason of unevenne/ss in the density of the material.

A further object of the invention is to Vprovide an improved method by which the filling of the moulds will be expedited. v

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a projector which may be used in carrying out the improved method. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 2-2 of Fig; 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the projector. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section. Fig. 5 is a detail of the projector blade. Fig. 6 is a horizontal lsection of the projector.

The improved method of illin moulds for refractory shapes consists in feeding a stream of suitably prepared material to a rotary projector or slinger by which comparatively small wads are sheared from the stream and projected at a high speed intol the moulds in rapid succession. In practice, a mixture of finely ground silica, such for example as Ganister rock, mixed with about two per cent of creamed or slacked lime, is prepared with from ten to fifteen per cent of water which is added during the grinding of the rock. From the grinding mill, the mixture is delivered in regulated quantities to the rotary projector.

This projector, which has a blade with an eight inch radius is rotated at high speed, approximately 900 revolutions per minute, and approximately three cubic feet of material per minute are fed to the projector. The blade will shear awad from the stream during each revolution of the rotor of the projector, which is prefera'bl formed so it will densify the material y centrifugal force' and then projectthe densified wads into the moulds. The projector head is 3moved horizontally over the mould to disout, which results in a truly formed shape when the material has been dried and fired. The method may be practised in a machine,

` such as illustrated in the drawings, which is mounted on a standard or base 10 and is pro- 0vided withia socket 12 which is journalled on the standard 10 so it is free to swing horizontally. An arm b is pivoted at 17 to the outer end of jib a so the arm may be swung horizontally relatively to the jib. A projector-head c is attached to the outer end 'of arm b and the pivotal movements of the arm and jib permit the projector to be moved horizontally to any point or in any direction, so that the projector head may be moved laterally and freely to deliver wads of material into all portions -of a mould. The projector head comprises a shaft 13 in and extending through the tubular arm b which is driven by an electric motor d mounted on the inner endv of said arm; a rotor comprising a body f 14, which is revolvably supported by roller bearings 15 between its hub and the outer end of arm b and is connected so as to be driven by shaft 13 by means of a split collar 16, which is keyed and clamped to the outer end of shaft 13; a projector member 18 which has a curved tangential blade 19 fixed to the rotor body by a bolt 22 and a casing or stator 24 which has an integral split hub 25 which is clamped to the arm b by bolts 26 to xedly secure it on said arm. At one of its sides, the projector-member 18 is provided with a blade 19l which serves to shear material from the stream fed into the casing and to prevent rearward displacement of the material. At its other side, said member 18 is provided with a blade 19b which is adapted to prevent forward displacement of the material from the member. The blade 19 is concave and sloped rearwardly with respect to its path of rotation, so that the centrifugal force will cause the material to be directed outwardly from the axis of the rotor and tend to pack the material against an arcuate liner 38 which constitutes the portion of the casing which coacts with the rotor in forming and guiding the wads. The latter, as they reach the lower end of the liner 38, are projected downwardly through an opening 47 in the casing.

The mechanism for feeding material in regulated quantity comprises a chute 40, which is vibratorily mounted on and so as to swing laterally with the jib a, being supported by a resilient strip 49 and a link 45. The lower or outer end of chute 40 discharges the material into a hopper 42 and onto an end less belt 41 which is mounted to swing laterally with the arm Z). Belt 41 is carried at the inner end of said arm by a pulley 71 and is supported at its outer end by pulley 87 on a shaft 88. The belt is continuously driven by gearing from the motor-driven shaft 13 by a pinion 61 on said shaft, a gear 62, meshing with said pinion, a pinion 6 6 on shaft 63 to which gear 62 is fixed, an idler 67 and a gear 69 on the shaft 72 of pulley 71. This gearing is suitably mounted in a housing 77 at the inner endof arm b. Chute 40 may be vibrated by an electric motor 57 which is mounted on a housing and bracket 48 which is mounted to swing with j ib a and drives the pinion 58 which meshes with a gear 54 which carries a wrist-pin 53 to operate a link 52 which operates an arm 51 which is rigid with arm 45 and carries a counter-balance 50. Arms 51 and 45 are fulcrumed at 46, so that the rocking of these arms will vibrate the chute 40 in the direction of the jib a to regularly feed sand to the feed belt 41.

The method has been practiced with a projector in which the radius of the blade was approximately eight inches and operated at approximately 900 revolutions per minute. An even stream of material in volume of approximately three cubic feet per minute was evenly fed to the projector. This results in dividing the material into and slinging approximately 900 wads per minute at a lspeed of approximately 3600 feet per minute downwardly from the projector. The operator, during this operation, grasps the handles 36 on the casing of the projector head and moves the head over the cavities in the mould to evenly distribute the wads throughout the entire area of the cavities therein, until the cavities have been completely filled. Any suitable mould may be used in connection with the method, such for example as one which consistsof a frame or body and a bottom plate which is separable from the body to permit the packed shapes to be ejected from the body.

In practice, it has been found that material, containing from ten to fifteen per cent of water, may be successfully packed into the moulds when the wads are formed and delivered as described. It has also been found that as the moisture content is increased, the speed of the projector must be diminished.

The method exemplifies one by which moulds for refractory brick and shapes will be filled by dense wads projected in rapid succession into the mould and built up therein until the entire cubic area of the mould has been filled and which results in a refractory product of true shape and uniform density.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. That improvement in making refractory shapes which consists in slinging into a mould small wads of refractory shape forming material in rapid succession and with suflicient speed to pack the material in the mould so that it is of uniform density and distributed evenly throughout the entire mould.

2. That improvement in making refractory shapes which consists in slinging into i' a mould small wads of refractory shape forming material containing at least ten per cent of water in rapid succession and with sufficient speed to pack the material in the mould so that it is of uniform density and distributed evenly throughout the entire mould.

3. That improvement in making refractory shapes which consists in rotating and slinging into a mould small wads of refractory shape forming material in rapid succession and with sufficient speed to pack the material in the mould so that it is of uniform density and distributed evenly throughout the entire mould.

4. That improvement in making refractory shapes which consists in feeding a regulated quantity of refractory shape-forming mate rial to a projector` slinging small wads of said material at a high speed and in rapid succession by the projector into a mould to pack the material in the mould so that it is of uniform density and distril'iuted evenly throughout the entire mould.

5. That improvement in making brick which consists in shearing wads from a substantially uniform and continuous stream of brick forming material and slinging the wads at a high speed and in rapid succession into a mould to pack the material in the mould so that it is of uniform density/ and distributed evenly throughout the entire mould. Y

6. That improvement in making brick which consists in shearing wads of brick forming material containing at least ten per cent of Water from a substantially uniform and continuous stream, and slinging the wads at a high speed and in rapid succession into a mould to pack the material in the mould 10 so that it is of uniform density and distributed evenly throughout the entire mould.

7. That improvement in making brick which consists in shearing wads of brick forming material from a substantially uniform and continuous stream, densifying the wads by centrifugal force and slinging the wads into a mould at a high speed and in rapid succession to pack the material in the mould so that it is -of uniform density and disgo tributed evenly throughout the entire mould. 8. That improvement in making brick which consists in shearing wads of brick forming material containing at least ten per cent of Water from a substantially uniform and continuous stream, densifying the wads by centrifugal force and slinging the wads into a mould at a high speed and in rapid succession to pack the material in the mould so that it is of uniform density and distributed evenly throughout the-entire mould.

9. That improvement in making brick Which consists in' rotatively shearing wads of brick forming material from a substantially uniform and continuous stream, densifying the wads by centrifugal force in a rotary projector and slinging the wads by the projector at a high speed and in rapid succession into a mould to pack the material in the mould so that it is of uniform density and 40 distributed evenly throughout the entire mould.

10. That improvement in making refractory shapes which consists in feeding approximately three cubic feet of refractory shape forming material per minute in a stream, and projecting approximately 900 wads of the material per minute from the stream into a mould at a speed in excess of 2400 feet per minute.

bo l1. That improvement in making refractory shapes which consists in feeding approximately three cubic feet of refractory shape forming material per` minute in a stream, shearing approximately 900 wads per i5 minute from the stream and projecting wads at the same rate in a mould at an approximate speed in excess of 2400 feet per minute.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 2nd day of December, 1926.

6o ELMER O; BEARDSLEY.

WALTER F. PIPER. 

